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Oct. 1, 2009

Things to do, Oct. 2-8

Cornell Cinema presents the local premiere of "When It Was Blue," a live 16 mm dual-projector performance by filmmaker Jennifer Reeves, Oct. 2 at 7:15 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre.

The film is a serious, eye-opening look at the beauty still present in our endangered world and a captivating artistic tour de force with a layered tapestry of ecological imagery from around the globe. Reeves explodes notions of both experimental and environmental films in an elaborate montage in four parts, representing compass directions and the seasons of earth's renewal. The screening is co-sponsored by the Cornell Council for the Arts and the Rose Goldsen Lecture Fund.

Tickets are $12 for students, $16 general admission; available at http://www.ahsanet.org/cornell, at the Willard Straight Hall Ticket Office and from Asha volunteers. The concert is a fundraiser for Asha, a nonprofit organization working with project partners in India to support basic education for underprivileged children.

Insectapalooza

Visit a butterfly house, tour the world-famous Cornell Insect Collection and the Arthropod Zoo, and talk to faculty and students who study insects at Insectapalooza 2009, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Comstock Hall. Admission is free and open to the public, and the fifth annual event features fun, educational exhibits for all ages.

Cornell's Department of Entomology hosts the one-day event, where families can explore "The Bizarre & Wonderful World of Insects!" Visitors can see samples of more than 5 million preserved insect specimens and meet entomologists who study insects to find better ways to protect our food, health and biodiversity. You can also learn about mutations in insects, how insects affect human and animal health, and more. Information: http://insectapalooza.ento.cornell.edu.

Reserved seats are $25, $31 and $35 for the general public; $18 for students (all sections). A Cornell discount rate is available for online ticket orders with a valid NetID. To order: http://www.baileytickets.com or http://www.cornellconcertseries.com; visit Ticket Center Ithaca, 171 The Commons, or call 607-273-4497..

The right teacher

Michelle Rhee '92, chancellor of Washington, D.C., public schools, will present "Reforming Public Education: How to Change the Conversation," Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Bailey Hall, followed by a reception at the Statler Hotel.

The talk is open to the public; free advance tickets are required and available at the Willard Straight Ticket Office and the Ticket Center on the Ithaca Commons.

Rhee's commitment to excellence in education began in a Baltimore classroom in 1992 as a Teach for America teacher. What she learned informs her mission today: With the right teacher, students in urban classrooms can meet high expectations for achievement. She founded The New Teacher Project in 1997, which develops innovative solutions to the challenges of teacher hiring.

The 2009 Iscol Lecture, presented by the College of Human Ecology, is sponsored by the Iscol Family Program for Leadership Development in Public Service.

Fun with fiber

Don't miss an exhibit featuring wearable works of art in the second-floor gallery of Mann Library. The fourth Barbara L. Kuhlman Scholars' Fiber Arts & Wearable Arts Exhibition ends Oct. 17. Sponsored by the Department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design, the exhibitors are this year's Kuhlman scholars, all undergraduates from the department.

The Barbara L. Kuhlman Foundation -- named for the professor, lecturer, author and collector of fiber arts -- provides annual scholarships to students studying fiber arts and fashion design. Scholarship recipients are encouraged to submit their Kuhlman projects to international art and design competitions, and many have won top awards.

Art and economics

Cornell's Department of Economics will open a new art gallery this week on the fourth floor of Uris Hall. Conceived by department chair Kaushik Basu and curated by artist Karen Brummund, the gallery bridges creative art and scientific research within the same space, in the belief that art can promote creativity in academic research and can have important social transformative effects.

The first exhibition features two related exhibits. "Letters to a New Generation" is an installation by artist-in-residence Heather Layton, who will be working in the gallery Oct. 1-7. She will complete a painting and hang hundreds of small pockets in the gallery. Visitors are invited to join the artist in filling the pockets with private wisdom, humor, advice or reflection for a generation that we will never meet.

"And Their Allocation" is a group exhibition on display Oct. 1-Dec. 4, with work by 13 additional artists including art faculty and students. The exhibition shows contemporary artists rethinking not only the allocation of goods, but also the values transmitted through them.

The Department of Theatre, Film & Dance's Black Box Theatre Series will present John Kolvenback's comedy "Love Song," Oct. 2-4 at the Black Box Theatre in the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts.

The production features an all-student cast and crew and is directed by Kelly Durkin '10, a theater arts and psychology major.

Performances will be held Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m. and Oct. 3-4 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $3 in advance and $4 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Schwartz Center Box Office, online at http://www.schwartztickets.com and by phone, Monday-Friday, 12:30-5:30 p.m. Information: 607-254-ARTS.

Civil liberties lecture

Susan N. Herman, president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), will give a public lecture on "Civil Liberties in the Age of Obama," Oct. 8 at 4:30 p.m. in 233 Plant Science. The event is part of the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs Colloquium Series. Admission is free. http://www.cipa.cornell.edu.